MARSHALL, Texas – Putting together an offensive surge in the second half, the East Texas Baptist University men's basketball team took an 80-63 win over Hardin-Simmons University in non-conference play. ETBU has now won five straight games and is 3-0 at home posting an overall record of 6-1 headed into the Christmas break.
 
Four Tigers would reach double-digits in scoring as Robby Dooley led the team with 20 points. Christopher Haynes added 16 points and nine rebounds while Westin Riddick (five three's) had 16 points and Colton Collins 13 points. Landin Brown would finish the night with six assists and six rebounds.
 
ETBU would make 47.0% from the field, 38.5% from downtown, and 66.7% from the free throw line. All of those would be better than HSU. ETBU also out rebounded the Cowboys, 39-32, scoring 22 points off turnovers and 12 second chance points.
 
After both teams exchanged points to start the game, ETBU would then take control early in the first half with a 15-6 run (17:43-10:18). Haynes (18:44, 15:10-14:21) and Dooley (17:03-11:40) would combine for 10 points in the run as ETBU went up 17-8. The Cowboys swung momentum their way as they would tally 11 straight points (10:00-7:56) for their first lead of the contest, 20-19. ETBU would retake the lead, 27-26, before battling to a 36-35 lead heading into the half.
 
The biggest difference in the game happened in the second half as ETBU would start with 12 unanswered points (20:00-17:10) including three of trey's from Westin Riddick (19:49, 17:44, 17:10) to lead 48-35. ETBU would keep this lead for much of the second half with the Cowboys cutting the game to as close as 10 points on two occasions (58-48, 60-50). With ten minutes to go, ETBU ran up nine straight points (9:23-7:57), which included five points from Collins. This increased their lead to 69-50 as Dooley would once again take over in the second half with 14 points. In the end, ETBU would tack on 11 more points as they finished off the 80-63 win.
 
ETBU will finish 2019 with two games in Richardson, Texas, on the weekend of December 28^th-29^th. The game on the 28^th will be at 2:00 PM against Blackburn College while December 29^th will be at 4:00 PM against Wisconsin-Stevens Point.